"Controversial method faces likely court fight"

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: Arbitron puts out people meter data : Controversial method faces likely court fight : Two days ahead of schedule and before court action could prevent it, Arbitron on Monday hustled out its official radio ratings for the quarter ending last month in Chicago and seven other U.S. markets, the first such results culled through eavesdropping devices known as portable people meters rather than the handwritten audience diaries in use for decades. : "Radio stations in Chicago are selling on them as of today," said Greg Solk, Chicago-based vice president of programming for Bonneville International, whose WDRV-FM and WTMX-FM took first and second among advertiser-coveted listeners age 25-to-54 from 6 a.m. to midnight daily, ahead of Univision's Spanish-language WOJO-FM at No. 3. : New York Atty. Gen. Andrew Cuomo, in a statement, warned "against using these prematurely released ratings, as we believe they are flawed and will be the subject of ongoing litigation," calling the move "an affront to racial and ethnic minorities." : News/talk WGN-AM 720, which is owned by Chicago Tribune parent Tribune Co., was No. 1 from 6 a.m. to midnight among listeners age 12 and older, buoyed by Chicago Cubs baseball. Bonneville's classic hits WDRV-FM was No. 2, and news/talk WBBM-AM 780 was No. 3. : Clear Channel's WGCI-FM 107.5, an urban contemporary station that was No. 2 in Chicago's spring diary report, plummeted to a tie for 14th with sister station WNUA-FM 95.5, a smooth-adult contemporary outlet that had been No. 6. CBS Radio's rhythmic contemporary WBBM-FM 96.3 fell to 20th from No. 7. : Among portable people meter foes is presidential candidate Barack Obama, who expressed concern the change will cost stations targeting minorities, noting Arbitron has yet to gain third-party accreditation of the device from the Media Research Council. : : (Phil Rosenthal, Chicago Tribune)

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